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Slovakia's ACG Air Cargo Global applies for US traffic rights

ACG Air Cargo Global (CW, Bratislava) has applied to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for a foreign carrier permit which would enable it to offer scheduled and charter cargo flights between points located Europe and the United States.

ACG Air Cargo Global is majority owned by Slovakian tycoon, Igor Bondarenko, with former Aeroflot-Cargo (SU, Moscow Sheremetyevo) boss, Andrey Goryashko, holding a minority stake. The company is largely based upon its now defunct predecessor, ACG Air Cargo Germany (6U, Frankfurt Hahn), with management, the directors of flight operations, ground operations and network planning, all former ACG Air Cargo Germany personnel.

About ACG Air Cargo Global

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The Slovak cargo airline stopped all activities at Brussels in mid-May 2017 after the Brussels Capital Region introduced more stringent noise limits during night time. As a result, ACG relocated two B747-400(F)s from the Belgian capital to Amsterdam Schiphol. However, it has now been forced to move back after the Dutch slot coordinator cut thirty-seven out of 150 weekly cargo flight slots there due to capacity restrictions. Amsterdam airport is by law limited to 500,000 movements a year while it already reached 479,000 in 2016.

According to De Tijd's sources, the airport authorities fear that ACG might leave Brussels again at any time since the noise limits have not been relaxed.

Amsterdam's capacity crunch has hit cargo operators in particular. An agreement between the airport and local residents limits movements at Schiphol to 500,000 per year. Airlines which fail the 80/20 rule – i.e. they must run 80% of flights to schedule – are the first to lose their slots. This obviously presents a problem to cargo companies which frequently need to adjust their schedules based on supply chain and logistics.

In late 2016, SIA Cargo was among a handful of cargo operators who threatened to abandon Brussels National over its strict noise regulations. Financial penalties were put in place earlier this year for aircraft which exceed noise standards in place by nine decibels during the day and six at night, and Singapore Airlines Cargo...

The airport is strongly opposed to the fines which were imposed by the Brussels Capital Region. It says that in 2016, the cargo carried by Yangtze and Air Cargo Global was 12% of its total volume, with their withdrawal representing a serious blow to its operations.

The policy is not actually a new set of rules, but the strict enforcement of noise restrictions which were legislated in 1999. The zero tolerance policy came into effect on April 22, 2017, with financial penalties for aircraft which exceed nine decibels during the day and six at night. As a concession to industry pressure, the Belgian government...